Little Shadow Darin
by KoalaJ
Summary: This is the story of a Pokemon who learned to regret, and a Boy who became the very first of a then-newly-discovered species. This is the tale of Little Shadow Darin.


There was once a boy named Darin. He was a quiet boy, and usually played with his Pokemon friends, though he wasn't a trainer yet and the Pokemon were from the forest behind his home. But Darin was quite an unusual boy, in that the Pokemon he considered his best friend was a Duskull, who had been given the nickname Hikaru, because it would always glow slightly whenever Darin was afraid. Darin's parents didn't mind, seeing that their son was happy to play with Pokemon, and the duskull looked after him when they played together, and had been alowed to live with them,

But there was one rule that Darin and Hikaru were always told to follow. "Never go into the forest. There are Pokemon there who would not hesitate to cause you harm." Said Father. Darin and Hikaru always followed this rule, as they would often see strange pokemon in the forest.

One day, Darin and Hikaru went inside as it started to rain, and were heading towards Darin's Father's study, where they were allowed to play if it rained outside. Before they could get there, however, Darin heard his Father call him from upstairs, and went to see what he was needed for. Walking into his Mothers bedroom, Darin saw she was fast asleep. "Is Mommy OK?" Asked Darin. His Father turned to face him, though he looked quite tired himself. "Mother has been working hard, looking after us, so she's having a rest." Replied Father. He told Darin to go and play with Hikaru, while he looked after Mother.

"This looks like strange Pokemon, Hikaru." Said Darin, pointing to a Pokemon in one of his Fathers books. This Pokemon were called Banette, and Darin had to admit, it looked a little frightening. The storm outside was getting worse, but for some reason, Hikaru was staring intently through the window, at the soaked landscape outside. Darin didn't mind, knowing his friend liked the rain, and went back to reading. Hikaru suddenly let out a cry, causing Darin to look up in shock. "What is it, Hikaru?!" Asked the Boy. Hikaru flew upstairs and into the Fathers bedroom, and Darin ran behind him. Running into the room, Darin saw his Father asleep on the bed, though he seemed to be in some kind of nightmare. "What's wrong with-" Darin stepped on something and heard it crumple. Picking it up, Darin saw that it was a written message.

'Dear Banette, I'm so sorry for abandoning you in the forest. But you were already possessed by an evil spirit, due to how I neglected you, and I understand why you have returned now to seek vengeance. These unending nightmares...I understand that I actively went out to look for you, to destroy you. I was just out of options. You would have come after us first, I was just doing what I thought was right. But I was so wrong to think your vengeance wouldn't have become worse. I'm sorry.'

Darin was...shocked, to say the very least. His father had abandoned a Doll, who had now been possessed and had become a Pokemon, and then he'd gone out willingly to destroy it? Darin tried to piece it all together, until he realized what his father had meant by the rule stopping him from going into the forest.

Hikaru watched as Darin picked up a nearby Lunar Wing, having read about their effects, and ran towards the back door. But Hikaru beat him there, and blocked him from leaving. "Hikaru, I have to find Banette amd apologise. If he sees the note then he'll have to understand that Father regrets what he did." Said Darin, suddenly pushing Hikaru out of the way and running outside. Hikaru followed him quickly, until Darin could no longer be seen in the darkness of the forest.

Hikaru searched for the boy for a while, thinking he kept seeing him, though it turned out to be a rock, or a tree or something else native to forests. Hikaru did the only thing he could think of, and glowed as bright as he could, hoping Darin would see him. Hikaru looked down, and saw the note Darin had been holding, though now half of it was burnt and smoking. Hikaru travelled faster, practically praying he would find Darin. Flying into a clearing and seeing a Banette fly off towards the distance, Hikaru saw a strange Pokemon he had never seen before, if it even was a Pokemon. "Hikaru...I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want to be this, either." Said Darin. Hikaru held the boy-turned-Pokemon close, and let him cry as much as he needed.

-x-

There were numerous searches for the boy, but he was never found. His parents were eventually awoken from the nightmares, and after years of grieving over the loss of their son, adjusted to a new life in the city, away from the danger of the forest and whatever was inside.

But since Darin was never found, numerous stories and rumours circulated. Killed by his parents? Lured away by a stranger? Or just simply vanished? The real answer was never foumd.

But how could it be? Who would believe the story of a boy turned into a Pokemon, and in a rather startling way at that?

Though, Darin is happy in his new form, even if he doesn't understamd the true concept of how he became it.

Nowadays, the forest has become a sanctuary for Pokemon, with almost no violence or fear, and are well away from the dangers of Humans and their policy of 'revenge before reason'.

The two Pokemon who you will always find together in this forest, however, are a Duskull named Hikaru, and a Phantump named Darin...and sometimes, if you look closely, you can see a Banette watching over them protectively, knowing his actions were wrong, and regretting what he did.

And years later, when Darin eventually left the forest with Hikaru to explore the world, Banette still recounts the tale of that one Pokemon he eventually saw as a son, and how that Pokemon accepted that.

But that is a story for another time. I have kept you long enough, and I must continue protecting the Pokemon of the forest. I wonder if he will come back today?

I miss you, my Little Shadow Darin.


End file.
